The Baron. Greenland granite: 'forget the Alps!'
Just imagine miles and miles of unclimbed granite peaks, with strong natural lines up solid golden walls and crack systems. Think of remote icy fjords and deserted landscapes, a true pristine environment that is hard to find back home in Europe. This was my summer trip to create new routes on The Baron, on the island of Pamiagdluk, Southern Greenland.
| Climbing with Glenda Huxter from North Wales we established 3 new routes in this granite paradise and made a hard second ascent, all of impressive quality and on excellent rock. As I say 'forget the Alps! "Your lead Leanne" laughed Glenda at the base of a gruesome looking off-width 12 pitches up on The Baron. The queen of Gogarth loose run-outs was happy that this particularly nasty crack was to be mine. High on a cold and windswept sub-arctic wall the challenges were real, but after a great deal of effort from both of us the first ascent of 'Free Will' was complete at a sustained and fabulous E3. Quite simply, the climbing on The Baron was the best I had ever done.
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 Leanne Callaghan sorting gear. Photos: Jude Spancken |
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the trip I used a RAB layering system that adapted to a wider variety
of temperatures than any system I had ever used. Merino
base layer was great, especially on an extended trip like this (it
just doesn't smell!). The Vapour-rise top was worn
constantly on all the climbing, cutting out the cold winds yet avoiding
overheating on strenuous pitches in the sun, and I used the new
Photon Hoody at belays, which was perfect and light
to carry. With an eVent® Latok jacket stowed
in the pack in case of bad weather this combination kept me comfortable
through the wild fluctuations of weather we experienced on the walls.
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Leanne Callaghan during a 2nd ascent of a 22 pitch E3 on The Baron, Southern Greenland.
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